A noisy group of players followed behind them, making it impossible for Luca, Cassman, and the others not to notice.
"What's wrong with these adventurers? Are they out of their minds?" Cassman's rugged face was filled with disbelief as he looked at the players trailing behind them, outnumbering their army several times over.
With so many soldiers heading to Beast Forest, anyone with half a brain would know they were on a dangerous mission. Yet, these players had the audacity to follow them—were they all that fearless?
"Maybe they are," Luca shrugged.
That's just how players were.
The things most people would avoid like the plague were exactly what players would throw themselves at, like moths to a flame.
He remembered from his past life that there was an extraordinarily beautiful female NPC who, after showing herself to the players just once, was worshipped by a group of appearance-obsessed players as if she were a goddess. They camped outside her house every day, professing their love.
Even after being driven away, they stubbornly returned, acting like paparazzi, hoping to win her over. Eventually, the NPC had enough and ordered a group of high-level players to be executed as a warning.
But it was useless—players, with their immortality, feared death the least.
In the end, the NPC had no choice but to retreat into seclusion, disappearing from sight and out of mind.
After that, Luca never saw her again.
In hindsight, it's no wonder people in his past life called players the "Fourth Calamity"—it made a lot of sense…
At that moment, Catherine glanced toward the entrance of Beast Forest, a look of disdain crossing her face.
She frowned and said, "Why is he here?"
Luca following Catherine's gaze.
Luca spotted Matthew and Freeman waiting outside Beast Forest with over a thousand City Lord's guards.
It was clear they were waiting for them.
It wasn't just Catherine—everyone instinctively frowned.
"Why isn't that spoiled brat staying in the city? What's he doing out here all of a sudden with so many people?"
"No need to guess. It's definitely Lord Rudolph's orders. Matthew isn't the type to do anything out of the goodness of his heart."
"I just hope he doesn't mess things up for us. That alone would be a blessing."
Many of the Iron Mountain soldiers looked at Matthew with disdain, a clear sign that he wasn't well-liked.
"Quiet," Cassman said in a low voice.
Though he didn't like Matthew either, he knew they couldn't afford to ignore him, especially since he was representing the City Lord.
The soldiers fell silent.
As the two groups drew closer, Matthew, who had been looking bored, immediately noticed Luca among them. His face lit up with a mix of surprise and delight.
"You've got some nerve, Witch Doctor! How dare you use a Nightmare to deceive me and Miss Sophia! You must have a death wish!" Matthew's face lit up with excitement as he pulled out the City Lord's token and ordered the men behind him, "Men! Get over here! Arrest him and take him to the dungeon for a thorough interrogation!"
"Kid, you're finished this time!" Freeman sneered with satisfaction.
Being tricked by a low-level Witch Doctor like Luca was one of the biggest humiliations Freeman had ever experienced, second only to being bested by Franklin.
Now, seeing Luca about to face punishment filled him with a sense of vindication.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand a word," Luca said, narrowing his eyes in confusion. He couldn't fathom why Matthew and Freeman's attitudes had changed so drastically.
Matthew sneered, "Don't worry, you'll understand once you're in the dungeon!"
As the City Lord's guards began to move in to seize him, Cassman frowned and stepped forward to block their path. "Baron Matthew, we're in the middle of a mission. I'd advise you not to interfere."
Catherine's face was equally cold, her tone frosty as she said, "I don't know what grudge you have against Luca, but if you insist on causing trouble, I have the authority to report your actions to the City Lord."
Matthew was already furious at being deceived by Luca.
Now, seeing Catherine standing up for him only fueled his jealousy and anger further.
His eyes darkened as he glared at Catherine, sneering, "I pursued you multiple times, and you always turned me down. I thought you were so virtuous! But now you're defending this pretty boy? You—"
Before Matthew could finish his sentence.
A blazing serpent of fire suddenly cut through the air, roaring toward him like a ferocious, giant python!
"Boom!"
To everyone's shock, the fire serpent exploded on impact!
A terrifying shockwave swept across the scene!
The force of the explosion sent Matthew flying!
However, just as the flames reached him, a green shield appeared around Matthew's body.
That absorbed all the damage.
Everyone turned their heads in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock.
It was Luca who had struck!
He stood tall, holding a metallic staff in his hand, its shaft encircled by crimson magic runes that flowed like blood. The tip of the staff glowed a deep red, with a small flame slowly fading.
"Scorching Flame Runes!"
No one had expected Luca to attack so suddenly.
Catherine slowly relaxed her grip on her spear, the icy expression on her face quickly melting away.
"Thank you," she said, lifting her gaze to meet Luca's. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a hint of admiration.
[Ding! Catherine's favorability toward you has increased by 150 points!]
The players watching were utterly stunned.
"A true legend! He actually dared to strike the City Lord's son—this guy has guts!"
"This is Riverfall City. If anything happens to Matthew, Luca could be banished from the main city!"
"Unbelievable! Matthew is a Silver-grade mage, and yet he got knocked back with a single hit!"
"I'm curious—what class did Luca switch to? He's just too cool!"
On the other side, Freeman stared at the fading red runes on Luca's staff, his expression darkening.
"No wonder... So this kid is a Demonic Rune Mage!"
Demonic Rune Mages can instantly release the magical energy stored in their runes upon activation.
It unlike regular mages who need time to cast their spells.
That's why Freeman hadn't even had a chance to react.
A Demonic Rune Mage combined with a Witch Doctor...
Franklin sure knows how to pick professions for his students!
Freeman thought bitterly, gritting his teeth.
Just then, Matthew clumsily got back on his feet, his face flushed with rage.
The fire serpent hadn't harmed him physically.
But it felt like a slap across his face.
"You bastard, you're dead!" Matthew, red with fury, lunged at Luca, ready to fight to the death.
But he is stopped by Freeman.
"You too, Freeman?!" Matthew glared at him.
Freeman gave a bitter smile and whispered telepathically, "Young Master Matthew, don't be hasty. The situation isn't in our favor right now. Once we're in Beast Forest, there will be plenty of opportunities to teach that brat a lesson."
It was only then that Matthew noticed the thousands of Iron Mountain soldiers had already drawn their weapons.
Even Cassman's face had turned cold.
Cassman's voice was chilling as he said, "Obstructing our mission is punishable by death. That's the rule set by the Count for the Iron Mountain camp. We haven't had to enforce it much, but I wouldn't mind testing it now."
"I hope, Young Master Matthew, that you won't make things difficult for me!"
As Cassman spoke, the soldiers behind him all showed a clear intent to kill.
The combined force of their murderous aura was like a bucket of cold water thrown over Matthew, making him shiver.
He suddenly remembered that he was facing the Iron Mountain army, a force personally raised by the Count!
Matthew's chest heaved with anger, but in the end, he clenched his teeth and waved his hand to the guards behind him, giving the order, "Everyone! Enter Beast Forest and scout the area now!"
With that, Matthew shot a venomous glare at Luca before turning and marching straight into Beast Forest without another word.
Although Matthew wanted to kill Luca, he wasn't foolish enough to risk his life over it. He knew that once they were inside Beast Forest, he would have plenty of opportunities to make Luca pay.
Watching them leave, Cassman frowned and cautioned Luca, "Given Matthew's personality, he won't let this go easily. You should be prepared."
Beside him, Catherine's face was filled with guilt as she said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Luca. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten into this trouble..."
Catherine was fully aware that Luca had stood up for her, and she felt deeply responsible.
Luca waved it off, saying, "Don't worry about it. He can't do anything to me. The mission in Beast Forest is what matters right now, so let's focus on that."
If this had happened before he cured Lady Lenna, Luca might have been more cautious of Matthew and the power his father, the City Lord, wielded.
But now, with the Howard family owing him a favor and with the backing of his two teachers, there was no need to fear this so-called son of the City Lord.
Seeing Luca's confidence, neither Cassman nor Catherine pressed the issue further.
The Iron Mountain army continued their march into Beast Forest, gradually spreading out as they moved deeper.
They entered at the same location where Luca and Catherine had ventured last time. Luca had marked the exact position of the node back then, but those markers had since disappeared.
As they moved into Beast Forest, everyone noticed the pervasive stench of blood in the air.
It was clear that something had changed within the forest over the past two days, making it even more dangerous.
"Everyone, stay alert," Cassman reminded the group.
The soldiers nodded, fanning out like a giant net through the forest.
This method allowed them to quickly assess the situation in Beast Forest and gather vital information for the stronger fighters back in the city.
Behind them, a group of players also followed.
With their levels having increased, most of them could now handle the monsters on the outskirts of Beast Forest.
Soon, Luca and his group encountered their first monster attack.
A squad of Goblins!
"Whoosh!"
A rusty sword came crashing down toward Luca.
He effortlessly sidestepped the attack, shifting his body slightly to avoid it.
At the same time, he activated his magic, and the runes on his spear suddenly lit up with a golden glow.
The spear's weight and attack power surged dramatically!
"Steel Magic Runes!"
Without pausing, Luca thrust his spear forward like a lightning bolt!
"Thud!"
The spearhead pierced straight through the skull of the Goblin wielding the sword.
-1217!
A damage number exceeding a thousand floated up!
The Goblin let out a final wail as its remaining health was drained by Luca.
Killing it instantly!
[Ding! You have killed a "Lv15 Sword-Wielding Goblin (Common)," gaining 2586 experience points!]
The kill notification appeared.
Luca gripped his steel spear, his eyes gleaming with determination.
Since completing his profession change to Demonic Rune Mage, his power had practically doubled!
Using magic runes had significantly amplified his damage output!
For the past two days, he hadn't had much time to level up.
Now, he finally had the chance to boost his level!
Meanwhile, behind him, the players and NPCs who witnessed the massive damage he dealt were completely stunned.
Was this guy's damage output for real?!